UCEF Fall 2025 Newsletter
Director's Report
Angelica is a single mom with one daughter. They ended up in Seattle as a result of fleeing from domestic abuse. She was brought to our attention by a caring manager in the apartment building they currently live in. Evidently, the ex-husband found her and created such a scene at her job that she was let go about 6 months ago. She's been in her current apartment for several months, struggling to find work, yet staying hidden in fear that she would be found again. At the time her apartment manager contacted us, she was two months behind in her rent. She had received a 30-day pay or vacate notice, but he really wanted to work with her, to help her get back on her feet. We were able to get the ball rolling and a couple other agencies matched us or did better. She had an interview scheduled that week. Our prayers went out for her that she get the job and that she and her daughter stay safe.
After 21 years as the Executive Director of UCEF, I still find it heart-breaking that there are stories like the one above and a demand for help that continues to far outweigh any funding combined by all service agencies. All of us seem to run out of our allotted budgets before the end of each month. There are some months when the majority of callers received a pay or vacate notice and they were without any kind of employment or benefits coming. Their next step was out on the street. And only recently, we learned our government has decided to round up the homeless and put them in prison. To those who say, "At least these folks will now have a roof over their heads and get three meals a day," I would remind them that these homeless persons are robbed of choice and dignity. UCEF believes everyone deserves a home; and a prison is not a home.
To all of you who have supported us through the years, I want to thank you again. And I humbly ask that you spread the word to your friends and families to continue to support us as the federal funding choices dry up for nonprofits under the current administration. We cannot help folks like Anjelica and her daughter without your help. Please know that whatever amount you give helps us help others stay in their homes and off the streets or out of prison.
May God's grace be with each of you as we walk together through these challenging times. — Jo
New Board Member
Hello! My name is Mike Alvine, and I am honored to have been elected to the UCEF board of directors at their April meeting. I am a U.W. grad in economics and have lived in Seattle for 58 years. I worked in economic development for many years and ended my career working as a legislative analyst for the King County council. I retired 11 years ago, following 30 years of service at the county. Since then, I have been engaged in volunteer activities at my church. I have a particular concern for people experiencing hunger, homelessness, or who are otherwise in need. When the opportunity presented itself to help keep people in their homes, rather than on the street, I jumped at it. I am married with three grown sons and I live in Ballard.
Board Member Moves to Volunteer
Seven years ago, a former colleague of mine, Andy, reached out to me about joining the UCEF board — he wanted to get more involved in preventing homelessness in Seattle. UCEF was a perfect fit and I'm so glad he reached out! Andy has been a valuable member of the board ever since, helping with everything from the technical: updating our website, sorting out our presence on Facebook, getting us on Mailchimp for our newsletters, generally helping with newsletters; to the more personal: standing up at fundraisers and explaining UCEF's mission and vision. As happens, Andy's tenure on the board has ended — life has gotten busy, but he will be staying to help as a volunteer — which is terrific news for UCEF! I'm so glad for the years that Andy has dedicated to UCEF and I am so glad he will be connected to UCEF in some capacity going forward.
Thank you, Andy for all the years on the board!
Melissa Morrell
Join the UCEF Board and Make a Difference!
The United Churches Emergency Fund (UCEF) currently has a few openings on our board, and we're looking for passionate individuals who share our vision of keeping people in their homes during times of crisis.
We proudly serve a diverse community and warmly welcome board members from all backgrounds and ethnicities. We are particularly seeking individuals with experience in marketing, website design and maintenance, or social media, but anyone with a heart for helping others is encouraged to apply. If you are committed to supporting your community and want to be part of meaningful change, we'd love to hear from you.
Looking Forward — Moving Forward!
It's no secret that many nonprofits are struggling to meet their funding goals so they can provide essential, sometimes life-saving services. Government support has been on the decline for some time, and the economy has been rather anemic. Help Wanted signs are everywhere, but many people are having a hard time getting hired. UCEF is working hard to increase our revenues to help more people stay in their homes. UCEF was formed by churches in and near the University District in 1986. A number of these churches have seen their membership and revenues decline, which has resulted in lower contributions to UCEF. In an effort to increase revenues, UCEF has decided to participate in Give Big this year. We have never done so before, and we are cautiously optimistic that we will get some new donors and revenue. This is one more avenue for new donors to become aware of us and, we hope, to increase funding. We will let you know if it is effective.